zDNC Parties and Celebrities

New mom Lopez turns out to hail a champion of children

Jennifer Lopez is the kind of actress who makes your socks go up and down. So the Duncan Pavilion at the Denver Art Museum was jammed Wednesday afternoon with excited media and Hollywood types to hear her praise the work of Marian Wright Edelman, president of the Children's Defense Fund.

Dressed in red, Lopez followed U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar in the short ceremony. She's a mother of twins now, so kids matter more than ever. She said that's why she started a foundation, to find out "what I could do to make a real difference."

She introduced Edelman as the hero she is — the voice of the voiceless.

My fair lady

The Creative Coalition gave a shout-out to Annette Bening at a brunch Wednesday morning at Earls, introduced by CC boss Tim Daly. I remember Bening from the Denver Center Theatre Company's brilliant production of Shaw's "Pygmalion" in 1985. She was part of the company — and I loved it, probably because it starred Bening. But who knew she was on her way to becoming Annette Bening?

It's her party

Rep. Diana DeGette commandeered the rooftop patio of the Denver Athletic Club for Monday through Wednesday. She threw post-convention parties there for members of Congress — complete with a band, food and cocktails.

"I'm paying for it," she told me. "I feel responsible to show my colleagues a good time. This is my district. I'm the hostess of the week."

And she said that she and fellow reps can't go to the parties sponsored by businesses.